International « (y)our food choices™

Paneer is a fresh cow milk cheese that is made from adding an acid like lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar (buttermilk works as well) to heated milk. The milk forms curds (curdles) that separate from the whey when the acid is introduced. The curds are then skimmed from the whey to drain and then pressed to remove any excess liquid. Paneer is a non-melting cheese that is used primarily in South Asian cuisine, especially in Indian cooking. Since paneer does not melt, it can be grilled or coated with flour or wrapped in dough and then deep-fried.

We recently took the Cheese Making 101 class taught by Mary Karlin, author of Artisan Cheese Making at Home, from The Cheese School of San Francisco. Paneer was one of the first cheeses we finished, and it was a lot easier than one might think. The magic of the cheese making was all in the patience it takes to heat milk slowly and a little chemistry. And like most culinary adventures, learning to adjust to unforeseen circumstances (such as a cool breeze from an open window) is all part of the learning process.

While we are novices to Indian cooking, like cheese making, we were excited to jump into another experiment. One of our favorite Indian dishes is Palak Paneer (Spinach Paneer). It’s a creamy spinach curry dish with cubes of paneer cheese. If you have picky kids that love cheese but hate vegetables, this might be a good one to serve them. With a willingness to be adventurous and a sense of how to use what’s available to us in our pantry, we scoured the web for inspiration for our Palak Paneer. The result is an Indian dish at heart, but with a little creative flair from California. It’s not authentic, but it is mighty tasty.

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California Palak Paneer

8 ounces paneer, cubed
2 teaspoons dry turmeric (divided)
3 tablespoons butter (divided)
1 large onion, minced
1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14 ounce can tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon cumin (preferably freshly ground)
2 pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed, leaves only

In a large non-stick sauté pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until bubbles subside. Toss the paneer with 1 teaspoon turmeric, coating all sides. Add the paneer to the pan and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the cheese from the pan and set aside.

Add I tablespoon butter to the pan. When bubbles subside add the minced onion, cinnamon stick and bay leaves and sauté until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add cumin and remaining dry turmeric to the pan and sauté for another couple of minutes until spices are fragrant. In a small hot spot in the pan, add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

In batches, add the fresh spinach leaves to the onions and tomatoes. Using tongs, flip the vegetables, and continue to add more spinach as it wilts, flipping until all the spinach has been added. Once the spinach has wilted, take off the heat and pour into a food processor. With the processor running, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and process for 10 -20 seconds or until all the butter is incorporated.

Return the spinach mixture to the sauté pan and place back on the stove over low heat. Add the paneer to the spinach mixture and keep warm until ready to serve, or present the Paleek Paneer family style with the fried paneer on top of the spinach.

Our Stout and Cheddar "UK Soufflé"

When going on a vacation there are certain things you must do to prepare. Of course, there is the obvious packing, getting a cat sitter, and stopping the mail, but there’s are the little things like eating what ever is left in your fridge to avoid having to toss it out. You become a little creative in the dishes you prepare and sometimes, if you’re really lucky, the dish comes out tasting very good.

Rosemary Scented Pan Roasted Veggies

The night before we traveled to London we had very little left in our fridge – some vegetables that we pan roasted with rosemary and some fixings for a souffle, or so we thought. We were short on milk and didn’t think it would be wise to go purchase more since whatever we bought would be past its prime when we returned, but we did have some flat stout beer in the fridge from a leftover Beach Chalet growler. So, after doing a little research and thinking, hell, why not, we created a souffle using a mix of the last of our milk, stout beer and Irish Cheddar. The result was a UK, French mash-up that was one of the best souffles we’ve ever whipped up. The coloring was a nice tan though not as pristine as a typical souffle, but the taste was uniquely delicious, and the souffle rose higher than any we’ve tried before. The resulting souffle is a sort of fluffy ‘rarebit’ that pairs perfectly with toasted crusty bread and a nice salad. Give this one a try and tell us what you think!
Cheers,
Jason & Steve

Recipe: UK Soufflé

Soufflé Prep

4 Tbsp butter, plus 1 tsp

¼ cup flour

¾ cup whole milk

¾ cup stout beer

6 eggs, separated

¼ tsp dry mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dash of Cayenne

½ cup grated English or Irish cheddar

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for dusting soufflé dish

Pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish well (or several small ramekins of your choosing) then lightly dust the interior with grated Parmesan cheese, set aside.

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the 4 tbsp butter. When it begins to foam, add flour and whisk constantly until mixture begins to darken slightly. Add milk and stout while whisking to avoid creating lumps. Continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Remove pan from heat and stir in salt, pepper, cayenne, mustard and cheeses. Next, whisk in egg yolks one at a time, again being careful to incorporate them quickly to avoid scrambling them.

Beat egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar in a spotlessly clean bowl until soft peaks form. You can do this by hand or with an electric hand or stand mixer. Once whipped, stir a few tablespoons of egg white into the cheese mixture until completely incorporated. Add remaining egg whites and fold them in gently with a rubber spatula to avoid breaking their volume (Bittman uses his hands).

Pour the batter into your prepared soufflé dish and bake in the center of your oven for 30 – 40 minutes (less if you’re baking small soufflés). Bake until a rich golden brown. To test, insert a wooden skewer into the center. The skewer should be just lightly moist. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Remember, a soufflé waits for nobody. Everything you plan to eat with it should be ready and on the table before you take the soufflé out of the oven. It will lose volume almost immediately after leaving the heat of the oven so time is of the essence. Use a couple of large spoons to scoop it from its dish and plate it while steaming hot!

Bon Appetit!